NBA Trade Rumors: Latest on L.A. Clippers, Rajon Rondo and Pau Gasol

The time for rumors and talk is coming to a close. On Thursday, the NBA trade deadline will be here and the truth will be known about who's really on the move.

Both Los Angeles teams have been heavily involved in some of the more entertaining rumors. As the hours slip away before Thursday, that still hasn't changed. Here's a closer look at three developing situations as it relates to the NBA trade deadline.

The Clippers Seeking a Big Man

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Per Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Clippers want to add depth in the middle for the stretch and postseason run:

Clippers GM/coach Doc Rivers on the search for a big man to bolster his bench, league sources tell Yahoo.

There are several options amongst players who have been rumored to be available in recent weeks, but salaries have to match up, and it's unlikely the Clippers would be willing to trade with another Western Conference team headed to the playoffs.

Eliot Shorr-Parks of the New Jersey Star-Ledger talked about Philadelphia 76ers big man Spencer Hawes being a potential fit, but that was speculation.

We'll see if Doc Rivers can pull the trigger on a deal that gives DeAndre Jordan a solid backup.

As Broussard mentions, Rondo is unlikely to sign a long-term deal to remain north of the border. One thought to ponder is whether the Raptors would be willing to roll the dice on wooing Rondo into re-signing.

If they were unsuccessful, the backup plan could be a move to a team that would be more desirable for Rondo, but could in turn bring the Raptors assets to continue their rebuilding efforts.

At this point, Gasol has to be thinking "do it, or leave me alone." You can hear a hint of that tone in his words quoted by ESPN's Dan McMenamin. When questioned by reporters about a potential move, Gasol said:

It fills up a lot of pages and f------ airtime. It's something that's there and there's potential that it might happen. Who knows? We might be saying that it's been great to see you guys [in the media] and we'll see you around. But hopefully that won't be the case because it's always hard and I think if it ever happened, it would be tough.

Kennedy says Emeka Okafor is the best player the Lakers can hope to obtain in a deal. But the Lakers apparently want more:

The executives believe Pau Gasol is the best player Phoenix can realistically get for Emeka Okafor's insured, expiring contract.